Saturday, March 20, 2010

Last March 14 was Bela’s Moving Up Day Ceremony. I yet have to make a separate post about it but this post is all about the awards that Bela received from school.

They had a Recognition Day which was held last February 25 but sad to say, we were not informed of that special event and we only get to find out about it when they announced it during the Moving Up Day and they showed slide show pictures taken during the Recognition Day. Howell and I felt a little disappointed that parents were not invited to witness this special event since we wanted to be there when the awards were given to Bela. It is not really a big award but as parents, we wanted to be there for Bela in every important event in her life.

Going back to the awards, below are the two awards that Bela received:

1. Wonderful World Learner Award – for her excellent work in Social Studies2. Attentive Listener Award – for paying attention and listening so well to others

Side Kwento: During the Moving Up Day ceremony, only the awardees from the graduating class (Kinder – Butterfly Class) were all called on the stage to receive their awards, medals and certificate. As per the lower level class, they only asked the parents of the awardees for Best in English and Best in Chinese to go up the stage to hand them their medals. All the kids were on the stage while the parents of the awardees put on their medals to the kids. Howell was taking a picture of Bela then and according to him he saw from Bela’s eyes her sadness when she did not receive a medal. Howell and the lolo was really affected and they felt really sad, not because Bela did not get the Best in English or Best in Chinese award, but because they felt sad because they somehow felt the pain that Bela felt that time. I tried to explain to them that it is just okay and that Bela will be okay and besides Bela already received other awards, but I guess as a father and grand father, they really felt sad for Bela.

I was also surprised since Bela approached me one night when she saw me sorting through the pictures of her Moving Up Day. And this is what she said:

Bela: “Mom you know, I don’t have a microphone during the show because I did not do good. Only those who have digi-medals (that is how she calls the medals) get to have a mic during the show.”Me: “No, that’s okay baby. You only need to dance that time and you don’t have to sing so you don’t have a mic.”Bela: “No mom. Wynette and Jade has a mic because they did good and they have digi-medals.”Me: “But you have an award too and the digi-medal (the gold seal of their school) is pasted on the paper which is your award.”Bela: “I don’t want my digi-medal to be on paper. I want it to be put on my neck and teacher will give it to me on stage.”Me: “I know you did a good job Bela. Maybe Jade and Wynette did a much better job so maybe next time you should work harder so you will get a digi medal too.”(Actually I don’t know how to answer her this time and how explain to her the situation.)

I guess Howell is right that it does have an effect on the kids. But now I am just trying to explain to Bela that next time she should work much harder so she will get to have a digi-medal too. But Best English or not, Bela did us proud.